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Well, here we are, September 12, 2013, the day following the anniversary of that heinous attack on the World Trade Center. For a fleeting moment, many were transported back in time, to Sept.11, 2001. Some cried, others fumed, and others chose, for some reason or other, to forgo any participation what so ever, in any of the commemorative services.
Those who chose to observe a moment of silence might wonder what possess a person to behave as such.

Don’t they care about the families of those defenseless victims who were dealt such a horrific blow? Is there no empathy with respect to the endless suffering these families have gone through, day after day, month after month, and year after year? These are legitimate questions that can only be answered by these quiet ones.

These are individuals who have chosen to erase certain “bad” memories from their minds, as they can not cope with trials and/or tribulations. To them, 9/11 is one of those dark areas they would rather block from their memory banks. Events, such as that which was perpetrated on our fellow citizens, could be deemed as destructive to their well being. Therefore, if there is no participation, there is no memory of that day, and no flash backs. Since there are no flashbacks, then it would stand to reason, that all is well. We can not blame them. That is their make up.

In addition to the aforementioned, we have those who still harbor so much resentment, that year after year, all they think about is, “Revenge.” “How can I pay them back for what they did? How can I make their families feel what I still feel?” These ones don’t seem to be at peace. Do I feel for them? Yes I do. No matter what they try, they will never leave that muddled zone which has brought not only hatred, but fear as well. Some are still in that thinking mode which is, “I’ll get you before you get me.” Sad to say, these terrorists have changed the lives of these poor souls forever.

Yesterday I visited several Face Book accounts, and to my dismay, some of the comments were so anti-victims, that it prompted me to chastise some of those involved. These individuals don’t really care, nor do they have any empathy for the victims, nor the families that lost loved ones. Now, these are the ones I would personally love to send to one of these countries. I venture to say, that one day among the terrorists, would have them crying for mercy, and who knows what else. To me, these are cowards.

America is a unique country, and the best one in the world. Each individual is also unique. We think, act, behave, and view the world, differently from one another. We are many cultures meshed into one. That’s what makes us so strong.
My message to those individuals I have described is the following: We are in this together, and we are a huge family. Be more sensible, and aware of the needs of those around you. Never forget what was perpetrated on our way of life. Remain alert at all times, and remember this, the only ones we can count on are God, and each other. God Bless America, and may we never experience such atrocities again.

Do you remember where you were, and/or what you were doing on that day? What went through you mind, and how did the news of this attack affect you?
I do remember where I was on that fateful day. My wife and I were living in Southern California at the time. A few days before 9/11, she and her sister went out of town, and visited their brother, in order to lend a helping hand at his restaurant.

On 9/11, bright and early, I decided to call my wife, and to see how she were doing. My brother-in law’s wife, who always answered the phone in a very sweet manner, sounded quite distressed and very agitated. She asked whether or not I had watched the early news on TV. I told her hat I had not, and asked what was so important. She urged me to turn on my set, and to watch the horror that was unfolding in NY. I did as she asked, and could not believe the horrendous images being splashed all over the news. I could not believe my eyes. My NY was under attack. How could this be? Was the entire state under attack? I thought about my family, and wondered if they were safe, and out of harm’s way. What could I do? I became very angry, and wanted to go after those who had done this. At that moment, I began to pray for my family’s safety.
Attempts to contact them were to no avail, as telecommunication was down. I was finally able to make contact that evening. Thank God all were safe and sound. But, what about the families of those who had perished? My heart went out to them. Their lives would be disrupted forever. I began to pray for them, and asked God to see them through this nightmare.

As an Army Veteran, I felt the need to do something, but what? As I sat there, numb, and in disbelief, I kept asking myself, “Who in their right mind would be compelled to commit such an atrocity!” But then, my mind raced back to the early 90s, and the attempt by terrorists to bring down the Twin Towers. Well, they were successful this time around.

Every 9/11, I sit at the computer, in an attempt to write about this infamous day, but have not been able to focus, as I try to erase the images of what I witnessed that day, on the news. This is the first time how ever, that I have been able to write about this infamous day, when our country was being attacked.

I’m from Brooklyn, and was able to witness the completion of the Twin Towers. They sat on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. They were quite visible from our building, which was located near the Navy Yard. What an awesome sight they were. Every time we visited the city, (Manhattan) we would see these enormous, majestic buildings, as we crossed the bridge. Sadly, they are gone forever. Whenever I see pictures of the NY skyline, I always say, “No more twin towers.”

It took me a while, but I was finally able to forgive the evil individuals, who caused so much suffering.
Life goes on, and the perpetrators of this horrific attack, are no longer around. In spite of what they did, I do pray for their families, in the hopes that they will find the truth, and do repent. Am I wrong? I venture to say, NO! God loves these people too, so who am I to wish them eternal doom? What is your take?

I woke up this morning, the 16th of July, 2013, prepared, as many would say, “to conquer the world.” Yeah right! I guess it all depends on what world you’re referring to. It was a beautiful morning, the weather was somewhat crisp, and cloudy, with a few dark clouds, hovering over our majestic New Mexico skies.

My wife and I have a daily ritual which consists of the following. We print out a daily crossword puzzle, prepare some Chai Tea, read the Bible before delving into our routine, and once we are settled in, we work on our puzzle. This particular morning, we drank our tea, and guess what! No puzzle. What! How can this be! Then I remembered why. This was the day I would take my car to the, ugh, dreaded auto mechanic’s shop. As I thought about it, my heart began to beat a bit faster than normal, my hands became sweaty, my speech somehow hurried, and my anxiety level, also elevated. I reminded myself that I was not going to the hospital for any major surgery, I wasn’t going to appear before the judge, or worse yet, work on the yard. I was going to the auto mechanic’s shop, that’s all!

Now, you might wonder__ what is so bad about visiting your local, friendly shop? What harm can come out of this? Aha! Glad you asked.
Whenever that little light comes on in your car, the first thing that comes to mind is_ how much is this going to COST ME! You have no idea as to why that little light is on, but you certainly know why that light goes on, in your wallet. So, you resign yourself to the inevitable, drive to your prescheduled appointment, and truly hope that the cost will be minimal. That’s what I did, but along the way, my defensive mechanism shifted into high gear, and I was ready for my confrontation with the cigar chomping manager. I was as ready as can be. I felt bigger than life, stronger, wiser, and prepared to counter-punch.

I arrived at the shop, “Just Brakes”, located on the corner of Montano, and Coors Blvd. in Albuquerque, NM. The parking area was filled with quite a few cars. I walked into the shop, my adrenalin was on speed dial, and as I stepped into the waiting area, I was greeted by a young and friendly, “Hercules.” This guy was built like a body builder. His smile was not what we would call as, grinning from ear to ear. It was more like, from wall to wall. The immediate thought that came to mind was, that I had walked into the middle of a photo shoot. Surely, this cannot be one of the workers. They must be shooting an ad. I stepped out briefly, looked at the sign again, and sure enough, it read, Just Brakes. I finally realized that I was indeed, in the right place, but who in the world is this body builder? I walked in once again, greeted the customers in the area, and was again greeted by Mr. Hercules. By the way, his name is Chris Castillo, and he is the Albuquerque Group Manager for this company. And yes, I kept waiting for him to pull out a cigar butt, and chomp on it. To my relief, none of this took place.

I gave him my name, and right away he addressed me by my first name. So far so good. We chatted for a few minutes, I provided the required information, and once we were finished, another worker came in, introduced himself as Chad, and asked for my car keys. We walked out together, as I was not letting MY CAR out of sight. As we approached the car, another worker greeted me. He introduced himself as Aurelio, and told me that he would be test driving it. Sounded good to me. Chad and I went back to the waiting room, and another worker, by the name the of Jesus informed me that he would perform the preliminaries, once Aurelio had test-driven the car. I figured that I couldn’t go wrong, if someone named Jesus worked on my car.

Seeing so many seemingly satisfied customers, I decided to get their opinions regarding Just Brakes. They all voiced similar sentiments. I was assured that these were honest technicians, and they would only conduct repairs, as needed, no more, and no less. Quite a satisfied group.

These technicians worked on my car, went beyond what I expected, the results were amazing, and to top it all, I was not charged one dime. The reason being, that I had taken my car to Just Brakes the previous year, and they honored the warranty. I had no idea that all the work that was performed, would be free of charge. I inquired as to this, and Chris, the manager, indicated that they do honor their warranties, no questions asked.I must say also, that a thorough check was done on the car, and no additional, “repairs” were deemed necessary. Was I pleased with the whole process? You had better believe it!

I do recommend these Techs, at Just Brakes. They are honest, knowledgeable, friendly, meticulous, and you won’t find any of them chomping down on cigar butts.
From Chris, the Mgr. to Chad, Jesus, and Aurelio, these are the ones I will visit, the next time I encounter any problems with my car. Allow me to give you their information. Just Brakes, 4311 Montano Rd. NW.. Albuquerque, NM 87120 Store #011.
This is my take on another honest company. Comments are most welcomed.

In an era filled with scam artists, involved in Ponzi schemes, outrageous charges for work not performed by so called professional technicians, such as, auto mechanics, plumbers, electricians, heating, and air conditioning techs, etc.one can only wonder as to who can be trusted in this day and age. I have encountered such individuals, who will steep so low as to scam their own mothers, if given the opportunity. These are what I would call, “the scum of the earth.” as they have no empathy for anyone. Their selfish, negative behaviors leave no room for any benevolence. “I’ll do unto you, but don’t you dare do unto me.” Nice attitude… huh?

Who are their victims? Their ages seem to vary, depending on the need of that particular person. Let’s take for instance, an older woman, living by herself, with no one to assist her. Her car goes out of commission, her refrigerator stops working, and to top it all, the plumbing system in her house decides to clog up. I would venture to say, that she has become a prime target for scam artists. She is at their mercy, if the wrong people show up at her house. This is a continuous occurrence that targets people of all ages.It’s a crying shame that, “A bad apple can spoil the whole bushel,” as the saying goes.
This is not to say that all techs are rotten. There are some honest to goodness individuals, who constantly perform excellent work, as needed. Their reputations are on the line, as well as their sense of pride, benevolence, and overall, outlook in life. These are the ones who see themselves in the mirror everyday, like what they see, and do feel good about how they treat their fellowmen.

There is a company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose employees fit this honest techs. category. I’m talking about, Courtesy. This company is in the business of Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning repairs.. My air conditioner stopped working for about three days. Needless to say, these were miserable days, due to the intense heat in this city. After various attempts on my own to remedy the problem, I decided to contact close friends, in the hopes of finding a technician who could be trusted. One of my friends suggested that I contact, Courtesy. I was told that they would inspect the a/c unit, pinpoint the problem, and concentrate on that particular area. Contact was established, a tech came to my house, the problem was detected, and immediately rectified. Out of curiosity, I asked whether or not he had found any other problems. The tech indicated that all was well. By the way, his name is, Phil Mares, an honest to goodness technician. Will I recommend this company, Courtesy? You bet. They have my vote.

As you can well see, there are some righteous technicians out there who can truly be trusted. Perhaps they can change that negative saying, “A bad apple spoils the whole bushel,” to, “A good apple can influence the rest of the bushel.”
Well, that’s my take on trust. Sadly, there are those who will continue to suck the life out of those they deem, as the weak ones. What is your take? You are welcome to comment.

Mention of this business was approved by one of the reps, Dayna. The technician, Phil was made aware also.

Yesterday, June 12, 2013, marked the sixth month anniversary of that horrendous mass murder of 20 children, and 6 adults, at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I decided to re-blog this post, lest we forget. Our thoughts, and prayers continue to be with the families of these precious victims.

December, 14, 2012, ( to quote President Roosevelt in his now famous speech, given in 1941), a date that will live in infamy. Adam Lanza, a name that will also live in infamy.
On this fateful date, you Adam, according to news reports, retrieved your mother’s guns, and for no apparent reason shot, and killed her. My question to you, Why?
That same day, you took these guns with you, with intentions of killing someone. Along the way, you decided to go to Sandy Hook Elementary School. Due to its restricted entrance, you forced your way in, walked to a specific classroom you seemed to have targeted, and began to spray bullets without hesitation, at these young and innocent children. Not fully satisfied, you targeted adults, and continued your killing spree, by shooting, and killing them as well. Why?

We are America, and hurt, when one of ours suffers. On that day, you deprived not only us, but the world as well, of future Teachers, Lawyers, Preachers, Medical Doctors, Law Enforcement Officers, Medical Researchers, Humanitarians, World Leaders, etc. You have broken our hearts. Parents of these beautiful children you chose to kill, will not have the opportunity to see them grow up. No more family gatherings, birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, and listening to their shrieks as they play with their siblings, and friends. Why?

Their classmates will never see them again, their teachers will not be able to mentor them, and see the results of their labor. The City of Newtown, will forever wonder whether or not they did enough to protect these precious ones. You did this not only to the immediate families, but to us as well. Why?

You took the cowardly way out, and shot yourself. We will never know why. Don’t think for one moment, that we, the hurting ones are finished. No! We will rebound from this tragedy. We will rally around these hurting families. We will love them, pray for them, and will never abandon them. They are our family.
We hurt, but we can not fathom what these parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends continue to experience on a daily basis. The memory of these little ones, and those selfless adults, will forever be etched in their hearts, and in ours as well.

This father’s day will not be celebrated as usual, as fathers will not hear those familiar voices saying, “Happy Fathers Day Daddy!” These voices have been silenced forever, but not in the hearts of their loved ones.
May God bring comfort to these families and their friends, who have been affected deeply, by this horrendous, merciless act. God bless them all.

Ah! The month of June is busting out all over! Graduations, Vacations, Outings, Road Trips, Picnics, and anything else that comes to mind. What a fabulous month. While families are getting ready to embark on these treks, there are some who are quite busy planning the most important event of their lives. It has to be, not only well planned, but also, well crafted. Nothing can go wrong. Everything has to be perfect. There’s no room for error. You are probably wondering; what in the world is he talking about? Well, we are talking about… June Weddings! The bride to be wants her wedding to be the best, the most talked about, and the most memorable event of her life. Of course, there will be other events which will demand much of her, in the ensuing years. “What about the Groom,” you may ask. Well, no one seems to pay much attention to this member of the wedding party, or other ones as well. All eyes will be focused on the Bride.

That day finally arrives; the ceremony could not have been better, the reception has been a success, and the overall unbelievable event, has captured the essence of the bride’s joyous occasion. The happy couple embarks on their honeymoon, and upon their return, settle in for what they perceive will be, the ride of their lives. Nothing can go wrong. They are committed for life. The love they have for each other has never been equaled, or so they think.

As the first year goes by, this couple who had been in so much love, begin to feel as if the love they once felt for one another, seems to be lacking. Hey, let’s face it! This happens all the time. But, is there a remedy for this? Of course! Let me address this to the new husband. When you first married, you could not wait to get home, take your bride in your arms, and of this I am certain, you told her time and again how much you loved her. So, when did you stop professing your love for her? Did you get tired, did you think this was passé, or did you feel that she knew how you felt? Have I got news for you! You never stop! This is the love of your life. You need to constantly tell her how much you love her, but not only that, you need to tell her also, that you are still in love with her! She needs to be reassured, every day, for the rest of your married lives. You cannot take her for granted, nor should she feel that she is just there as a fixture. She is your best friend, so tell her that she is. No one, not even your family, kids, friends, job, or any other entity, is more important than her. Remember who she is!

Hey wives, you are also included in this. When the love of your life expresses his love for you, be reciprocal. Don’t just stand there, like a Venus De Milo Statue, you know, the one with no arms. Put your arms around him, and whisper sweet nothings to him. My wife and I have been married for quite some time. After all these years, she knows how much I love her, and that I’m still in love with her. She is very much aware of my deep feelings for her, because I tell her on a daily basis, that I love her, and that I’m still in love with her .

Please welcome Lisa fender, and Toni Burns, as my guests today. Their fantasy fiction novel debuted two weeks ago, and I’m looking forward to determine, why these sisters would want to collaborate, on their first writing venture, not only on this book, but a series of books to follow.The name of the book is Fable – Book 1 of the Lorn Prophecy. I believe it will prove to be a popular fiction story. It’s fun, action packed, full of magic, and not to mention a love story intertwined.

Let’s find out what started this journey, and where it might lead. Please leave comments or questions for them. They will be checking in periodically to answer them and on, 06/28/2013, they will gather your names, put them in a hat and draw a winner for a giveaway of a copy of their book, signed, and a Starbucks card with 10 bucks on it. So, join in on the conversation.What brought you two together to write a series of books? First of all, thanks for having us on your blog, Johnny! We look forward to our blog tour and hope that some of your followers come to the other sites to be a part of the fun. The links will be on my blog: http://www.lisafender.com
The way we became co-authors was from me asking my sister Toni to help me with editing. I had written the rough-draft a year or so before and after a lot of struggling with creative writing, I decided to hire a writing coach. After working with Janet Roots, my coach, for 9 months, I joined her meet-up writing group and my writing began to get better. Toni began to come over and it turned out she was learning right along with me.
As we continued this process, she found she was having fun with the story and became more involved with ideas and images of how this would all come out. I asked her to be my co-author because she was putting in a lot of extra time, and had fallen in love with the story. I felt she deserved the recognition right along with me, so here we are 4 and a half years after I first sat down and wrote this story. And, let me tell you, we are having a lot of fun with it!When will the next book come out? Oh yes, the question of the day. We have not only decided to write a series, but we are also adding novellas in between each novel about the Djenrye world we have created. Each one will talk about certain events in their history and the people involved. We want this world to take on a life of its own. The first novella (side story) should be out this fall. It is halfway finished now. Of course it’s a shorter story than the novels, but filled with action and a little more imagination of the world we’ve created.
The second novel is planned for next year, I am hoping in the Spring, but it might not be until Summer. I have written the first 32 chapters of it, but it needs some work.So tell us a little about the book. It’s about a girl named Stevie Barrett, who grows up in Golden, Colorado. She leads a simple life and has two best friends, Jack and Alyssa. Things start happening to her. A strange being is watching her from outside her window with blue eyes that shine out. Her mother is attacked at her place of business and Stevie is having reoccurring dreams of being chased by those she cannot see, that are shooting arrows at her.
Then right before her graduation from high school, she has a ‘waking’ vision, where she becomes this other woman running for her life in an archaic world. Before she knows it, she finds herself on a quest for an Orb, one of five, which belong to these people called the Djen. She meets new friends and falls in love. The only obstacle is she is being hunted by a group called the Rebellion who wants to beat her to this Orb, kill her, and take over her new found legacy. She finds herself running for her life and having to make a choice that could possibly save both worlds from total destruction.That does sound like an exciting book! I’m looking forward to reading it. Is there anything else you can tell us about you two? Well, we are both married, and we both have two kids each. I also have two grandkids. We love living in Colorado. We both enjoy hiking, reading, and good sci-fi/fantasy movies or TV shows. Toni enjoys riding her motorcycle with her husband on road trips, on the other hand, my husband and I love camping and going to the hot springs in Buena Vista, but we both relish in all the amenities of living in this wonderful state. Oh, and we both are big dog fans! I have one dog and she has two. Thanks for coming on my blog and sharing your book and telling us about yourselves. I will be reading your first in the series. Don’t forget to leave us your contact links so that my followers will be able to find you and your book(s). Thanks again Johnny, and we look forward to your followers comments. We will be sure to answer them.

I know, I know. The title itself will ruffle some feathers. Sorry, but I will not apologize for it, nor the contents of the blog. The politically correct crowd is probably asking themselves, why did I choose such a controversial title. Controversial to whom you may ask?

Allow me to explain the reasons for my stand. Whether you like it or not, this country was founded under Judeo/Christian principles. Through the years, we have abandoned this principle, and have caved in to the whims of the powers that be, which in my estimation, accounts for the minority of our populace, not the majority.

An “America For Jesus” event was held last year, in Philadelphia, as thousands prayed for this great nation. I did not see any expanded coverage by the mainstream media, nor any major support by the Washington elite. Why, you may ask, aren’t they interested in a “Christian” rally of such magnitude? My answer is as follows…the aforementioned groups do not want to “offend” other religious entities, but see no reason why they can not deliberately offend us Christians.

We are ridiculed, mocked, threatened, and if they had their way, we would be totally silenced. They make fun of our Televangelists, and would like nothing better than to remove them from the airwaves. They would also love to stop Evangelicals from voicing their God given rights, and/or opinions. These groups have gone so far as to support the removal of “In God We Trust” from our monetary system, and, “One Nation Under God”, from the Pledge Of Allegiance”.

Let me quote a great individual, President Reagan, where he stated the following, “The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion, claim they are doing it, in the name of tolerance, freedom, and open mindedness. Isn’t it the real truth, that they are intolerant of religion? They refuse to tolerate its importance in our lives.” I would like to take this a step further. These groups are not intolerant to religion, as evident by their tolerance to other religious groups. My deepest conviction is, that they are intolerant to Christianity. My question to you is…Are we Christians supposed to reamain silent, become door mats, and allow the minority to restrain us from our rights? Sorry, but we have a higher power to answer to.
In spite of this, God loves them, and so do I.

What is that up in the sky? What’s been jettisoned by those massive jet planes way up there? I don’t have the answers, but of this I am certain, there has to be a high government official, who knows without a doubt, what that daily dose of spraying is doing to us, and the environment.

In 2006, my wife and I moved back to New Mexico, “The Land of Enchantment,” with its beautiful clear blue skies, continuous sunny days, a landscape that is to die for, and its overall attractiveness. The nights are majestic, and the bright, beautiful stars seem to hover just above you, giving you the feeling that you can just reach up, and actually touch each one of them. As you gaze at this awe inspiring splendor, you can only stare in disbelief, at the magnificence of God’s handy work. We also enjoy the four seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. What more could one ask for!
We returned to this beautiful area, because we had had enough of the L.A area, with its ever present smog, traffic congestions, and daily drudgery. We settled in, and began enjoying our retirement. We could hardly contain ourselves, as we began our new and exciting journey. This part of the country is filled with so much history, dating back to the Spanish settlers. Every where you look, you do find a piece of history. We also renewed long time friendships as well.

Not long after we settled in, we noticed a couple of jet planes, flying high above our clear blue skies. As I observed closer, I notice a plume of vapor being jettisoned into the atmosphere, from the rear of these aircrafts. I quickly inquired as to this disturbing sight, and was advised that these were merely contrails. This response set my mind at ease, as these are triggered by the vapor in the exhaust system. I also noticed that these tended to dissipate quickly.
Well, six years later, these disturbing sights have now become the everyday norm. The so called contrails are now Chemtrails, or deposits left by these aircrafts that are, or may be considered as chemicals, or biological agents, deliberately sprayed at high altitudes.
There are many unanswered questions in this regard. Some theorists indicate that the government is merely spraying in order to cool the planet. Yeah, right! Other theorists indicate that these spraying episodes are intended to rid this country of cockroaches. Really! I had no idea that these bugs could fly so high!

At the onset of these spraying episodes, I thought that they were restricted to New Mexico. Wrong! I have researched this matter thoroughly, and find that this is a world wide intrusion into our daily lives. The beautiful skies over New Mexico have become saturated with man made, fake clouds. These individuals don’t seem to appreciate clear blue skies. On clear days, we would go outside, and just enjoy our environment. Now, all we see are ugly, malformed, man made clouds. Sometimes you will see from four to seven aircrafts, dumping who knows what, into our atmosphere.

Why doesn’t the government come clean, and tell us what is the truth behind this daily spraying. Are we in grave danger or what? Should we be concerned? Are you also experiencing this daily activity in your part of the country, or for that matter the world?
We need answers, but I personally don’t expect any. What are your thoughts?

You must be wondering whether or not there are other women in my immediate family, who are close to me. Of course! The three I’m referring to, are my wife, my biological mom, and my mother-in-law. Mother-in- law, you ask? Evidently they never had the privilege of meeting mine. Stay tuned, and read on. You’ll understand why.

The first I would like to recognize is my beautiful lovely wife. When God created her, He broke the mold. How do I begin to describe her! Well, let me start with the following. She has a special love for God, her family, which includes mine, her friends, and even those she does not know personally. She is very caring, genuine, and has a heart of gold. Throughout the years, I have seen her bless so many needy individuals, through her caring, and selfless attitude. She truly represents what a Godly woman should be.
I love this woman, my wife, beyond belief. She has been there for me, through thick and thin, to say the least. Next to God, she has been a pillar of strength, and a guiding light, through my struggles, aspirations, and overall journey. She has been my biggest support with respect to my visionary treks, and has been my loudest cheerleader. I have been amazingly blessed. After all these years of married bliss, I can still say, that I continue to be in love with her. What a wonderful gift from God. Can not thank Him enough! Oh, I need to mention that she is quite the artist! I couldn’t be prouder.

What can I say about my biological mother! The following should say it all. “Thank you Lord, for allowing me to be born to such a wonderful, and loving mom.” She nurtured me, and spoiled me rotten! So what! She loved doing things for me. She was my Heroine! There was nothing she would not do for me. Her sacrifices are to numerous to describe. She really loved the family, and her actions demonstrated that love, for everyone to see. There was never a dull moment in the household, as a result of her wit, and overall perception of life. What a Godly woman she was. Caring, loving, giving, and always prepared to render any assistance those less fortunate. I honor her memory every day, not just on Mother’s Day. She deserves that high honor. Sadly, (for me, but not for her), she went to be with the Lord in 2002, at age 93. I still miss her, to this day.

There are so many cruel jokes about mothers-in-law. Evidently, they never met mine. She was “mom’ to me, my second mom. My family loved her not only because she was my mom-in-law, but because they also felt a genuine love for her. What’s not to love! I became her son when I married her daughter. She became my mom as well, a lovely person, with a heart of gold. Mom’s primary concern was her family, and you would always find her praying for their well being. Those who met her for the first time loved her immediately, because of who she was. She always had something nice to say about everyone. I never heard a cross word come out of her mouth. What a woman of God she was. I used to tell her sons, that I was her favorite. That’s the way I felt. I will never forget that motherly love she had for me. I also reciprocated that love that she demonstrated for me. She also went to be with the Lord, in 2010, at age 100, three months shy of her 101 birthday. I miss my “mom” also.

There you have it. The love that I have for these three women will never wane. They are very special to me. How I love them! The three women in my life!